Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

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  • #31
    Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

    Just to chime in real quick in re: to why being present in LA is important, cuz I don't think anyone said this part.

    But as much as Skype, conference calls, and whatever communication strategies bring our world closer. Don't forget what you're asking as a writer.

    You are asking a production company or a studio to invest millions of dollars into something. It's not just about you and the assignment -- it's about the long road ahead that hopefully leads to a completed film released across the world.

    They want to sit across from you and look you in the eye and know that you're the right person for it. So that will likely never change. They are always going to want as much direct contact as they can get. Because giving you assignment is likely the least expensive step in what they are about to embark on. You have to be present and available so they feel good about their investment as much as anything.

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    • #32
      Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

      Ugh, it must be Friday.

      In terms of developing a screenwriting career (not selling a script), you improve your position mightily by being in Los Angeles. Mightily. If you're really dedicated to this pursuit, take the last step and move yourself to LA. Consider it a rite of passage. I did, and arriving on the sun-soaked soil felt great to me, like an accomplishment in its own right, even though I had really accomplished nothing. It was all mental, but it sure did help.

      You can control very little in your pursuit. You can't control your god-given talent. You can't control your commercial sensibility. You can't control who is going to read your script and when. You can, however, control two things:

      1. How much and how hard you work (most important).

      2. The five numbers at the end of your address.

      Why not alter the two things you can control to better arm yourself against the things you can't? Wasn't it Ted and Terry who said, "if you want to wrestle alligators for a living, you better go live where there are alligators." ?

      No, you don't have to live here. But 95% of those who have truly dedicated themselves to this pursuit live or have lived or are going to live in Los Angeles.
      Reaction time is a factor, so please pay attention.

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      • #33
        Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

        Originally posted by Han Shot First View Post
        . You can, however, control two things:

        1. How much and how hard you work (most important).

        2. The five numbers at the end of your address.

        .
        Really? Are you offering to sponsor me for a VISA??

        No offense, but did you even read the god damned OP? I'm sorry for being belligerent, but it comes with the territory of NOT BEING IN CONTROL of the five numbers. The OP was from Canada. Infact most of the posts have been from or in regards to, those that don't have US citizenship.

        Its not that easy. It's not impossible, but its not as easy you as your post intimates, and thats that. I already tried to get one for ARZ and that was WITH a common-law that had a student visa. No dice.

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        • #34
          Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

          Deep breath.

          This isn't personal, and many people who read this thread are probably in the US. There's plenty of room for advice to both types.
          Chicks Who Script podcast

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          • #35
            Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

            ^^ you're right. But it's been a frustrating road to travel, and constantly have the bug in your ear, saying well just move.. It's like "yaaa. i know. I wish."

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            • #36
              Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

              I can tell a lot of people a lot of reasons they can't do a lot of things.

              Getting a visa is difficult, but making it in Hollywood is orders of magnitude more difficult. Don't worry about why you can't, worry about how you can.

              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k-eIVROECo

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              • #37
                Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

                Originally posted by emily blake View Post
                Deep breath...
                I love it! And, yes, it's easy to just jump on the end of the thread without reading the OP. So, patience. But it saves everyone time to at least read the OP.

                Anyway, another thing I'll say is that my title suggests we all aspire to HW success but of course that's not the only way to measure it. Yeah, I probably meant "HW success", but let's say it means success anywhere.

                Defining "success", like defining "a screenwriting pro", is for another thread.

                Anyway, there's a post a few back about "Thoughts on London (U.K.)". London? Absolutely. Australia? Germany, too. Canada's not lightweight either. Most of the big ones there have L.A. and/or NY offices, so a solid foot in there will help get you to HW, if the stars line up properly.

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                • #38
                  Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

                  I think the most important thing for a screenwriter is access to people who make films; who actually need material. Whether that's in LA, NY or Madrid, it's all the same.

                  New media is changing the world - do people really not think Hollywood will soon be to film what Detroit is to motor vehicles? Let's list here... the money comes from abroad, many of the most talented writers, directos, actors, indeed so many of the skilled craftsman come from out of LA - why, precisely, do we need that place, in particular?

                  Oh, that's right... for publicity...

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                  • #39
                    Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

                    Originally posted by Todd Karate View Post
                    I can tell a lot of people a lot of reasons they can't do a lot of things.

                    Getting a visa is difficult, but making it in Hollywood is orders of magnitude more difficult. Don't worry about why you can't, worry about how you can.

                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k-eIVROECo
                    Thats great, and I agree with the sentiment you're expressing, but until you've had to apply for a visa and see what that process entails.. well friend, you just dont know.

                    Writing a spec (of whatever) and getting it sold in order to get a sponsor is literally the only way right now....

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                    • #40
                      Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

                      Originally posted by Paradis View Post
                      Thats great, and I agree with the sentiment you're expressing, but until you've had to apply for a visa and see what that process entails.. well friend, you just dont know.

                      Writing a spec (of whatever) and getting it sold in order to get a sponsor is literally the only way right now....
                      There you go. Now you know what you have to do.

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                      • #41
                        Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

                        Wait -- wasn't XL living in London when he won Nicholl? Isn't he here now working on the screenwriting braintrust thing (SONY was it? -- I had 5 hours sleep last 2 nights, forgive my memory).

                        How did he do it?
                        Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

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                        • #42
                          Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

                          Paradis, thank you for being the microcosm example of what is wrong with many (not all) of the writers that come to Done Deal seeking advice from people who do it for a living.

                          Advice is sought, answers are given, said answers are not liked, questions are asked again and again until answers are given that are liked, if said liked answers are still not given, pissing and moaning is commenced.

                          If it was my lifelong dream to be a Mountie, I wouldn't spend my time here in sunny Los Angeles making angry posts on a message board about how hard it is to get into Canada while simultaneously looking for faceless internet strangers to validate my hope that I could become a Mountie without living in Canada. Instead, I'd be doing one of two things:

                          Trying to get better at riding horses (primary) and trying to figure out how to get my (presumably sore) ass into Canada.
                          Reaction time is a factor, so please pay attention.

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                          • #43
                            Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

                            Originally posted by Paradis View Post
                            Really? Are you offering to sponsor me for a VISA??

                            No offense, but did you even read the god damned OP? I'm sorry for being belligerent, but it comes with the territory of NOT BEING IN CONTROL of the five numbers. The OP was from Canada. Infact most of the posts have been from or in regards to, those that don't have US citizenship.

                            Its not that easy. It's not impossible, but its not as easy you as your post intimates, and thats that. I already tried to get one for ARZ and that was WITH a common-law that had a student visa. No dice.
                            Dude, isn't it obvious that, if you can't do anything about moving to L.A., then you should just recognize it and focus on the things you can control?

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                            • #44
                              Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

                              Moderator! Mod-er-a-torrrrr! (Think Jim Carrey doing it, forget which movie)

                              I've already done a few PMs off this thread, so let's take the personal debate there! Yes, Hanshot and Paradis, we're familiar with your sentiments and neither needs to be reiterated! Although the first post about VISA difficulties (aside from the credit card kind, which I'm well aware of nowadays) were news to me.

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                              • #45
                                Re: Success in Screenwriting without living in HW

                                Originally posted by Paradis View Post
                                Really? Are you offering to sponsor me for a VISA??

                                No offense, but did you even read the god damned OP? I'm sorry for being belligerent, but it comes with the territory of NOT BEING IN CONTROL of the five numbers. The OP was from Canada. Infact most of the posts have been from or in regards to, those that don't have US citizenship.

                                Its not that easy. It's not impossible, but its not as easy you as your post intimates, and thats that. I already tried to get one for ARZ and that was WITH a common-law that had a student visa. No dice.

                                I would like to add a couple of things on this one. Yes, it makes a difference if you live in L.A., yes, it certainly improves your chances, yes, you should move to L.A. if you can.

                                But, you can take solace in this--the overwhelming majority of people who move to L.A. to break in never will. So, don't worry about it. You can do it from outside L.A. My producing partner sold a script for a guy who lived in Brooklyn. And was 46 (I believe), at the time. And had been slugging away for years. His wife literally cold called my partner, talked to him on the phone and then sent him a BOX of eleven scripts. He sold the last one in the box for 500k outright. True story.

                                Listen, if you can write as well as this guy out in New York, you can have a career. The quality of the material is EVERYTHING.

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